Snow removal device

ABSTRACT

A plow device includes a plow member and a handle that is pivotally connected to the plow member. The plow member is generally U-shaped, and retains snow or other loose material as the U-shaped member slides over a ground surface.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/594,093 filed on Feb. 2, 2012, entitled, SNOW REMOVAL DEVICE, theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various shovels have been developed for removing snow from sidewalks,driveways, and the like. Shovels have also been utilized to move otherloose materials such as dirt, gravel, animal waste, or the like. Knownshovels utilized to clear materials can be tiring to use, and may notclear loose material as quickly as desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention is a manual plow device that isconfigured to be pushed on ground surface by a user in a forwarddirection. The plow device includes a plow having an upright rear walldefining a forwardly facing front side surface. The upright rear wallincludes an elongated lower edge that is configured to slidably engage aground surface in use, and opposite end portions. The plow also includesa pair of horizontally spaced apart end walls that extend forwardly fromthe opposite end portions of the rear wall. The end walls defineinwardly-facing side surfaces and elongated lower edges that areconfigured to slidably engage a generally flat ground surfacesimultaneously with the lower edge of the upright rear wall. The frontside surface of the upright rear wall and the inwardly facing sidesurfaces of the end walls together define a U-shape in plan view and acentral space that is substantially open vertically whereby snow orother loose material is retained in the central space by the rear walland the end walls in contact with a ground surface. The plow devicefurther includes a handle having a first end having a grip that isconfigured to be grasped by a user, and a second end that is pivotallyconnected to the plow with sufficiently low rotational resistance topermit the handle to be rotated relative to the plow to thereby raiseand lower the grip without rotating the plow when the only forceresisting rotation of the plow is gravitational force acting on theplow. The plow may comprise a generally flat sheet of polymer materialthat has been formed into a U-shaped structure.

Another aspect of the present invention is a manual plow deviceconfigured to be pushed along a ground surface by a user. The plowdevice includes a U-shaped plow member having a central portion and apair of spaced-apart end portions that extend transversely forward fromthe central portion in a cantilevered manner to define a central spacethat is open in upper and lower directions and in a forward direction.The plow device includes a handle that is pivotally connected to theplow member for a rotation about a generally horizontal axis relative tothe plow member.

These and other features, advantages and objects of the presentinvention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled inthe art by reference to the following specification, claims and appendeddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partially fragmentary isometric view of a manual plow deviceaccording to one aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the plow device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the plow member; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a plow device according to another aspectof the present invention, wherein the plow device includes a knock-downhandle to facilitate shipping of the plow device in a disassembledstate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,”“left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivativesthereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1. However, itis to be understood that the invention may assume various alternativeorientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It isalso to be understood that the specific devices and processesillustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the followingspecification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive conceptsdefined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and otherphysical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed hereinare not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly stateotherwise.

A plow device 1 (FIG. 1) according to the present invention includes aplow 2 and a handle 3 that is rotatably connected to the plow 2 forrotation about a horizontal axis “A”. The plow 2 includes an uprightrear wall 5, and a pair of horizontally spaced apart end walls 6 thatextend forwardly from opposite end portion 7 of upright rear wall 5.Upright rear wall 5 includes a forwardly facing front side surface 8,and the end walls 6 define inwardly facing side surfaces 9. Upright rearwall 5 includes elongated upper and lower edges 10 and 11, respectively.The upper and lower edges are preferably linear, and parallel to oneanother. The end walls 6 define upper and lower edges 12 and 13,respectively. Upper and lower edges 12 and 13 are preferably linear, andparallel to one another, As discussed below, plow 2 can be flipped over(i.e. rotated 180°) such that “upper” edges 10 and 12 are in contactwith the ground surface being cleared. The end walls 6 includevertically extending forward edges 16 that extend between upper andlower edges 12 and 13, respectively to define upper and lower corners 17and 18, respectively. The upper and lower corners 17 and 18 are radiusedto permit the plow 2 to travel over bumps or other irregularities in aground surface 4. The radiuses of corners 17 and 18 are preferably atleast about ½ inch, but could be as small as ⅛ inch. The radiuses couldalso be larger. For example, the radiuses of corners 17 and 18 could be1.0, 2.0, or more inches. Also, the corners 17 and 18 could be chamferedat a 45° degree angle or otherwise modified to be less “sharp” tofacilitate sliding of plow 2 over bumps, irregularities, or the like inground surface 4.

With further reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, plow 2 is preferably made froma flat sheet of polymer material that is heated and deformed to formcorners 19. The plow 2 is preferably made of a polypropylene materialthat is about ¼ inch thick. During fabrication, a flat sheet of solidpolymer material is cut to size. The sheet is then heated and deformedto form end walls 6 and corners 19. In the illustrated example, thecorners 19 are relatively sharp. However, it will be understood that thecorners 19 could be radiused. The radiuses of corners 19 could be quitelarge, such that surfaces 8 and 9 are curved. Plow 2 may optionallyinclude angled end flaps 6A having vertical edges 16A. Flaps 6H mayextend at an angle θ of about 30°-45° relative to end walls 6. End flapsor extensions 6A ensure that the lower edges 13 of sidewall 6 do notbecome stuck in elongated cracks (not shown) that may be formed inground surface 4 at joints between adjacent slabs of concrete or thelike. In general, the plow 2 may have a range of configurations, andcould comprise a gently curved member as shown by dashed line 20.

The plow 2 defines a central space 22 (FIG. 3) that is open in upwardand downward directions, as well as in a forward direction. In use, snow15 (FIG. 1) or other loose material is retained in central space 22 bythe inner surfaces 8 and 9 of upright rear wall 5 and end wall 6,respectively. However, because plow 2 is open in a downward direction,the snow 15 or other loose material is supported on ground surface 4 asit is pushed and retained by surfaces 8 and 9 of plow 2. Thus, incontrast to a shovel, the plow 2 pushes the snow in a horizontaldirection, but it does not include a horizontal support surface of thetype that is utilized to lift snow or other loose material.

The end walls 6 have a length “L” (FIG. 3) of about 12 inches to about24 inches. More preferably, the length “L” of end walls 6 is about 10inches to about 18 inches. The width “W” of the plow 2 is preferablyabout 18 inches to about 48 inches. The dimension “W” is more preferablyabout 24 inches to about 32 inches. The height “H” (FIG. 2) of the rearwall 5 and end walls 6 is preferably about 6 inches to about 18 inches.However, it will be understood that the dimensions of the plow 2 mayvary as required for a particular application.

Referring back to FIG. 1, handle 3 includes a pair of spaced-apartelongated side members 24 and an upper cross member 25 extending betweenand inter connecting the side members 24 such that handle 3 has anupside down U-shape. A lower cross member 26 extends between theelongated side members 24, and interconnects the side members 24 toprovide additional strength and rigidity. The handle 3 may be made fromtubular metal such as aluminum, steel, or other suitable material. Inthe illustrated example, the handle is made from aluminum tubing havingan outer diameter of about 0.75 inches, and a wall thickness of about0.060 inches. Lower ends 27 of side members 24 of handle 3 are pivotallyconnected to plow 2 at pivot connections 28. Pivot connections 28 maycomprise pins or threaded fasteners or the like that extend throughopenings in ends 27 of side members 24, and through openings in endwalls 6 of plow 2. With further reference to FIG. 2, the handle 3preferably has a length “L” of about 36 inches to about 60 inches. Inthe illustrated example, the handle 3 has a length “L” of about 48inches.

Referring again to FIG. 1, in use, a user grasps upper cross member 25of handle 3, and pushes on the handle 3 to slide the plow 2 over aground surface 4. The pivot connection 28 preferably has relatively lowresistance with respect to rotation of handle 3 relative to plow 2 suchthat handle 3 can be rotated as shown by the arrow “R” (FIG. 2) relativeto plow 2 without causing rotation of plow 2. Thus, the gravitationalforce “G” (FIG. 2) due to the mass of plow 6 cases the lower edge 13 ofend walls 6 and lower edge 10 of rear wall 8 to remain in contact withground surface 4 as a user rotates handle 3 about. However, pivotconnection 28 may be configured to provide a small amount of rotationalresistance such that handle 3 can be stably positioned in an uprightconfiguration “U” (FIG. 2) when plow device 1 is not being used. Ifthreaded fasteners are utilized at pivot connection 28, the threadedfasteners can be tightened or loosened as required to provide thedesired degree of rotational resistance at pivot connection 28 tothereby permit rotation of handle 3 relative to plow 2 in use, whilealso permitting handle 3 to remain in an upright position “U” when plowdevice 1 is not in use.

In the illustrated example, the plow 2 is generally symmetric about ahorizontal plane. Thus, the plow 2 can be flipped over such that upperedge 10 of upright rear wall 5 and upper edges 12 of end walls 6 are incontact with ground surface 4. Thus, if one of the lower edge surfaces11 or 13 becomes uneven or worn, the plow 2 can be flipped over andused. In general, edges 11 and 13 tend to wear in a relatively evenmanner, such that the plow 2 can be utilized for a long period of timedespite significant wear on edges 11 and 13 (or edges 10 and 12). In theevent one of the edges becomes irregular, the plow 2 can be readilyrepaired by grinding or otherwise removing the irregular material tothereby straighten the edges 11, 13, 10, and/or 12. As the edges wear,chamfers or radiuses can be formed at corners 17 and 18 as required toensure that plow 2 can travel over bumps and other irregularities in aground surface.

Referring again to FIG. 1, in use, a user grasps upper cross member 25,and rotates handle 3 to a comfortable height. The user then pushes onthe handle 3 to slide the plow 2 in a forward direction as indicated bythe arrows “F” (FIGS. 1 and 2). The snow 15 or other loose material isretained within open space 22 by forwardly facing front surface 8 ofupright rear wall 5, and by inwardly facing side surfaces 9 of end walls6. The user pushes the plow device 1 until the snow 15 or other loosematerial is pushed off the area of ground surface 4 to be cleared. Inuse, the user can shift handle 3 up or down as required to provide forcomfortable use and/or to provide sufficient force to push the snow 15or other loose material. Due to the low rotational resistance of pivotconnections 28, a force applied to the handle 3 will act in a directionalong the elongated side members 24 of handle 3. This force provides ahorizontal component “F1” (FIG. 2) tending to move the plow 2 in theforward direction “F”, and a downward component “F2” acting downwardlyon plow 2 at pivot connection 28. The downwardly acting component “F2”of the force tends to keep the lower edges 11 and 13 of plow 2 incontact with ground surface 4. Typically, in use the handle 3 can beangled such that forces applied by a user are transmitted axiallyalongside members 24 whereby the total force vector F_(T) (FIG. 2)extends through the contact area “C” between plow 2 and ground surface4. This helps ensure that plow 2 remains in contact with ground surface4. The angle of handle 3 can be adjusted as required to account forforces acting on plow 2 as a result of friction between plow 2 andground surface 4, and for forces on plow 2 due to snow or other material15. In this way, a user can ensure that plow 2 remains in contact withground surface 4 during use.

The plow device 1 is particularly suited for snow removal fromsidewalks, driveways, and the like. The plow device 1 permits rapidclearing of snow from a relatively large area, and it does not requireshoveling or lifting of the snow. Furthermore, the plow device 1 canalso be utilized to move other loose material such as gravel, woodchips, or the like. The plow device is particularly suited for clearinganimal waste such as manure from barns or other such facilities.

With further reference to FIG. 4, a plow device 30 according to anotheraspect of the present invention includes a handle assembly 31 includingan upper member 32, a lower member 33, and a pair of side members 34.Side members 34 have reduced diameter ends 35 that are received in openends 36 of tubular upper and lower members 32 and 33, respectively.Threaded fasteners such as bolts 37 and nuts 38 can be utilized tosecure the handle 31 in an assembled condition. Plow device 30 includesa plow 2 that is substantially identical to the plow 2 described in moredetail above in connection with FIGS. 1-3. Plow 2 can be secured tolower ends 27 of handle 31 by threaded fasteners such as nuts 37 andbolts 38, The plow device 30 can be shipped in a disassembled state, andassembled after it is removed from the shipping container. The plowdevice 30 is used in a substantially similar manner to the plow device 1as described in more detail above.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A manual plow device configured to bepushed by a user to cause the plow device to slide on a ground surfacein a forward direction, the plow device comprising: a plow having anupright rear wall defining a forwardly-facing front side surface, anelongated lower edge that is configured to slidably engage a generallyflat ground surface, and opposite end portions, the plow including apair of horizontally spaced-apart end walls that extend forwardly fromthe opposite end portions of the rear wall, the end walls defininginwardly-facing side surfaces and elongated lower edges that areconfigured to slidably engage a generally flat ground surfacesimultaneously with the elongated lower edge of the upright rear wall,and wherein the front side surface of the upright rear wall and theinwardly-facing side surfaces of the end walls together define a U-shapein plan view and a central space that is substantially open verticallyin upper and lower directions whereby loose material disposed in thecentral space in contact with the ground surface is retained in thecentral space by the rear wall and the end walls; and a handle having afirst end that includes a grip that is configured to be grasped by auser, and a second end that is pivotally connected to the plow withsufficiently low resistance to rotation so as to permit the handle to berotated relative to the plow to raise and lower the grip withoutrotating the plow if the sole force resisting rotation of the plow isgravitational force acting on the plow.
 2. The plow device of claim 1,wherein: the forwardly-facing front side surface of the plow issubstantially planar.
 3. The plow device of claim 2, wherein: theinwardly-facing side surfaces of the end walls are substantially planar.4. The plow device of claim 3, wherein: the inwardly-facing sidesurfaces are orthogonal to the front side surface.
 5. The plow device ofclaim 4, wherein: the elongated lower edge of the upright rear wall andthe elongated lower edges of the end walls are linear and lie in animaginary plane.
 6. The plow device of claim 5, wherein: theforwardly-facing front side surface of the plow is orthogonal to theimaginary plane.
 7. The plow device of claim 6, wherein: the uprightrear wall and the end walls define linear upper edge surfaces wherebythe plow can be rotated 180° and the linear upper edge surfaces can bepositioned on a flat ground surface, and wherein the handle can berotated to extend up and away from a ground surface.
 8. The plow deviceof claim 7, wherein: the plow comprises a sheet of polymer material withplanar opposite side surfaces, and wherein the upright rear wall isformed by a central portion of the sheet of polymer material, and theend walls are formed by opposite end portions of the sheet of polymermaterial.
 9. The plow device of claim 8, wherein: the end walls includeend edges extending between the lower edges and the linear upper edgesurfaces to define upper and lower corners, and wherein the upper andlower corners have an edge surface that faces forwardly and downwardlysuch that the plow can go over bumps on a ground surface.
 10. The plowdevice of claim 9, wherein: the edge surface of the corners comprises aradius of at least about 0.50 inches.
 11. The plow device of claim 8,wherein: the handle comprises a U-shaped member with a pair of elongatedmembers having first ends thereof rotatably connected to the plow, and across member extending between and interconnecting the elongatedmembers.
 12. The plow device of claim 11, wherein: the first ends of theelongated members are rotatably connected to the end walls of the plow.13. The plow device of claim 11, wherein: the elongated members comprisefirst and second end sections, and a central section having oppositeends thereof detachably connected to first and second end sectionswhereby the handle can be disassembled into at least three separatesections to reduce the overall size of the handle when it is in adisassembled state.
 14. The plow device of claim 8, wherein: the loweredge of the rear wall and the elongated lower edges of the end walls arelinear.
 15. The plow device of claim 14, wherein: the linear upper edgesurface of the rear wall is parallel to the lower edge of the rear wall,and the linear upper edge surfaces of the end walls are parallel to theelongated lower edges of the end walls.
 16. The plow device of claim 15,wherein: the linear upper edge surface of the rear wall is spaced-apartfrom the lower edge of the rear wall by about 6.0 to about 18.0 inches.17. The plow device of claim 1, wherein: the inwardly-facing sidesurfaces of the end walls are spaced about 18.0 to 48.0 inches apart.18. The plow device of claim 1, wherein: the end walls extend about 12.0inches to about 24.0 inches forward from the forwardly-facing front sidesurface of the rear wall.
 19. A manual plow device configured to bepushed along a ground surface by a user, the plow device comprising: aU-shaped plow member having a central portion and a pair of spaced-apartend portions that extend transversely forward from the central portionin a cantilevered manner to define a central space that is open in upperand lower directions and in a forward direction; a handle pivotallyconnected to the plow member for rotation about a generally horizontalaxis relative to the plow member.
 20. The plow device of claim 19,wherein: the plow member comprises a sheet of polymer material that isbent to form the end portions.
 21. The plow device of claim 19, wherein:the handle comprises an upside-down U-shaped member having a pair ofelongated members having ends thereof pivotally connected to the plowmember.